Audio 1:52
Anzac Day gatherings mourn the fallen

Lexi MetherellUpdated
Thu 25 Apr 2013, 8:39 AM AEST

Thousands of Australians have gathered at dawn services around the country to remember the servicemen and women who've been killed fighting for the country. It's 98 years since Australian and New Zealand troops landed at Gallipoli. More than 8,000 Australians were killed in that campaign and many more have been lost in wars and peacekeeping operations since then.

Transcript

TONY EASTLEY: Thousands of Australians gathered at dawn services around the country to remember the servicemen and women who've been killed fighting for the country.

It's 98 years since Australian and New Zealand troops landed at Gallipoli. More than 8,000 Australians were killed in that campaign and many more have been lost in wars and peacekeeping operations since then.

Here's Royal Australian Navy Chaplain Richard Quadrio delivering the opening prayer at the Cenotaph in Martin Place in Sydney.

(Sound of bagpipes)

RICHARD QUADRIO: Almighty God, we gather today to remember. We remember an un-winnable battle that forged a nation. We remember sacrifice that guaranteed a way of life. We remember suffering that in time brought blessing. We remember the extraordinary costs of war that finally led to peace. We remember that victory is always costly. And we remember that evil still crouches at the door. We remember that peace can never be taken for granted.

TIM BARRET: These significant events, as with many great events in history, are not necessarily remembered for what was achieved, nor whether we were victorious or defeated. Rather we remember them for the quality of the human endeavour, for the extraordinary deeds of ordinary men and women, for the stories that continue to inspire us and for the legacy they leave for future generations.